Defending National Champion Clemson Tops Precept Coaches Poll

Sept. 11, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. – The Clemson golf program will begin the 2003-04 season where it ended last season – atop the Precept Division I Coaches Poll. The Tigers, who return three starters from last year’s national championship squad, captured 18 first-place votes to earn the No. 1 ranking in the 2003-04 preseason poll. This marks the eighth-consecutive poll that Clemson has been the coaches poll’s top-ranked team.

Florida and Oklahoma State tied for second with the Gators garnering one first-place vote and the Cowboys six. One point behind in fourth is UCLA, who earned 10 first-place tallies. Texas came in fifth and was followed by Wake Forest, UNLV, Arizona State, Augusta State and Georgia.

Arizona begins the second ten with Georgia Tech at No. 12 and North Carolina at No 13. TCU – the highest ranked team that did not qualify for last year’s NCAA Championships, debuting this season at No. 14. The Horned Frogs are followed by Auburn, NC State, Southern California, Washington and Arkansas. No. 20 New Mexico picked up the remaining first-place vote.

Minnesota, Duke, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Illinois round out the top 25.